May 9: Psalms 23 1-6
Key Verse: Psalms 23 4
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Devotion:
When was the last time you just stopped and accepted your current situation as being acceptable? I’m not talking about those moments when we stop and give in, being just a fleeting moment, but stopping and giving the best part of the day over to accepting what you have right now as being acceptable!
I have not written about this Psalms for quite a while now, but when I first started writing devotions I would turn to it often because of the great comfort I got out of it, no matter what was happening in my life. So, now most of us are in the same boat around the world as we step back from normal life, let us try to accept this as being normal and acceptable for this season. Let us stop the arguing and bickering, stop the boasting and greed and simply give this time back to God in prayer and worship.
I have stopped the constant moaning and groaning of the news people and put on a few hours of worship music. I intent to give as much of this day as I can to Christ and not to do my normal worrying or researching or working, after all it is a bank holiday here in the UK as I write this devotional.
Read through each verse or phrase and stop and think about what it means to you – not what the philosophers say, not what the bishops and priests say, but what God says to you in your heart as you read the verses. Already as I read through the Psalms while I am writing I feel encouraged and strengthened, not because I am weak, but because the words are so strong. Last year I walked through that dark valley with those closest to me sharing those dark times. All I had was a single light at the end of the tunnel, not that I could see it, but I knew it was there; but I still did fear because it was unknown… much like what many of us are going through now. Lift up God. Worship your Saviour and bask in His light and not be tempted to go out and socialise until it is safe xxx
Points to Ponder:
What are you going through right now?
Will you stop and take God’s hand and walk with Him?
May 8: Luke 10 8-12
Key Verse: Luke 10 9
Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’
Devotion:
When Jesus wanted people to go and tell others the gospel He picked about 6 dozen people to go and reach out to others – but it is interesting how He sent them out. He did not send them out as evangelists who would try to convince everyone as quickly as possible but asked them to go out peaceably and to find the people of peace in the communities. Reaching out to the people who are known as the ones who others look up to in spiritual ways is so very important!
We often think of the ways in which we can reach others and make plans for wonderful mass gatherings or praise parties where we can all jump about and praise God as loud as we can, but most often the way to reach a community is by going there and becoming a part of that community first of all. Joining in with the people of peace in the community allows us to become part of that community – that is when and where we can make a big difference, just by being there and showing people how we live!
When I look back at some of the townships back in Zimbabwe I remember places which did not seem to have much hope. Yes there were a few people there who had hope and they tried to allow others to see it, but because of the noise of the outside world and the racial hatred which had been built up, they were often overlooked or kept quiet.
Jesus is asking us to be like these people He sent out and to go into our communities and raise the banner of hope – allow people to see there is hope and there can be comfort in this time of despair! There were only a couple of times when I was able to go into the townships and just be part of the community rather than being the enemy and I will treasure those moments because they gave me hope of a brighter future.
Points to Ponder:
How dull or bright do you see your community as?
Will you help to switch on the lights and allow hope to come in?
May 7: Romans 2 12-13
Key Verse: Romans 2 12
All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law.
Devotion:
Why do we have laws? Well, it is our (mankind’s) way of describing what is acceptable and what is not. But if we did not make up laws, then how could we be doing anything wrong? We cannot escape laws! Just because they may not be written down on paper for you, does not make them non-existent. We live with in the natural world and we were given the task of looking after it by God in the beginning – so we are born into a world where natural laws existed before we had our judicial systems in place!
One of the positive things we have seen during this pandemic is the clearing up of the atmosphere, the cleaner air, water and even our streets! When we do give God control of things, we can see just how good He can be! But when we force our self-imposed laws upon God’s creation, we break it so quickly! It is unfortunate that it has taken something so drastic to make us stop and think about our world again – but we have started in the right direction…
It is not so fortunate we have also been exposed to the world-wide corruption of many governments! We see politicians in their true colours as they break all the laws which they are supposed to uphold – we see many telling lies to cover up their ineptitude! But through all of this, there is one who is watching and seeing all of those laws broken – not man’s laws, but His original laws!
I know I am no angel, but I do try to do what is right and I do try to uphold God’s laws. I also know it is not really what I do which will make me righteous in God’s eyes. This passage is not saying we have to work at the laws to be right with God; it is saying we have to do what God has asked us to do and to do it willingly!
Points to Ponder:
Do you know God has asked you to believe in Jesus?
Have you truly accepted Jesus as Saviour?
May 6: Matthew 7 21-23
Key Verse: Matthew 7 22
Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’
Devotion:
So… have you been following the rules about being safe and staying at home? I’m not sure there are too many people out there who can definitely say they have done exactly what their governments have said because many have bent the rules slightly so they can keep some sort of normality in their life. I know I have bent the rules so I can help others out but one thing I learned at an early age was how to clean my hands properly! My dad was a pharmacist and cleanliness was a big part of the job, some of that actually rubbed off one me!
I know I was not the cleanest of kids and I know I did not clean things as much as I should have until this virus raised its head and boy was I thankful I had remembered some of the simple things to keep myself virus free – so far so good!
But just doing the ‘keep yourself clean’ thing is not going to completely protect me from the virus; I need to do many other things to help! But this is not a lesson on keeping clean, this is a lesson on not counting on your own works to get you to Heaven! These words spoken by Jesus bring it home hard that not everyone is going to get to Heaven. Some may think they have done enough by speaking about Jesus, teaching about Him, leading prayers or whatever… unless they believe in their hearts that Jesus is Saviour and believe the words which Jesus spoke, they may find themselves lacking!
Just because I can clean my hands properly, can take pills and self medicate does not make me a pharmacist! The same applies for Christians. Unless we actually believe in our hearts the words which come out of our mouths – we are not necessarily Christians! I have been in places where I found it very hard to believe the person speaking believed the words coming out of their mouths because they were reading from a well prepared script rather than from their hearts. If I can spot that, Jesus can see right through it!
Points to Ponder:
Do you tell others about Jesus?
What do you believe in your heart?
May 5: Acts 3 1-10
Key Verse: Acts 3 6
Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”
Devotion:
What have you got out of looking at the introduction to the apostolic letters in the bible? I thought about this for a short while and very quickly realised the introductions were centred around making sure people knew God through Jesus. What better passage to choose today than one where the a couple of the disciples are walking up to the temple and come upon the lame beggar who has been put out every day on the way to the temple so he can beg for support from people going to the temple and they do something extraordinary in Jesus’ name!
This makes me think of the beggars who stand at the junctions of major routes around London like the A406 North Circular Road where they clearly spend all of their day placed at the junctions where the traffic builds up and is often at a stand-still. But the difference here is the target audience, for want of a better term. The beggars friends would put him in clear sight of people who have been taught to care for others whereas modern day beggars are typically placed in paths of the wealthy or so called middle class people…
So what was all the fuss? This beggar had been lame from birth – he was born with a condition which prevented him from being able to work so he had no option but to beg for support from people. Can you imagine what went through his head when Peter said these words? What would go through your mind if you were in a similar circumstance? We don’t often think about what people are going through which places them in a position where they are forced to rely on others for their well-being!
This week in North London we see the opening of another Foodbank which is going to help hundreds of people out in these times where so many are fully reliant on others for their well-being! I know what it is like to have nothing and to have to ask others for help. I know what it is like to be very hungry with no food in the cupboards. I ask God to look after me all the time because I know how close I am to having to rely on others; but I fully trust He is able to do things whereby I can continue to work for Him and to help spread the fantastic news of Jesus being our Saviour.
Points to Ponder:
Is there someone you know who desperately needs help?
If you cannot help physically will you stand up and pray for them now?